Monthly total exceeds previous record of $55m in February

Agencies

The campaign of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today announced it had raised a record $66m in August with the help of more than half a million new donors.

Obama's total for August was almost $20 million more than the $47 million his Republican rival, John McCain, raised last month - giving the Democratic candidate a possible cash advantage in the race for the White House.
 
But Obama's fundraisers have said he still has to do better in the next two months before the election on November 4 to remain on a par with McCain and the Republican National Committee, which has more money to spend on McCain's behalf than the Democratic National Committee has to aid Obama.
 
Obama's campaign said that with the latest figures he had more than $77m available in cash.
 
The August total exceeds the $55m Obama raised last February during the primary campaign - an all-time high for any presidential candidate during a primary.
 
Writing on Obama's website, his campaign manager, David Plouffe, said: "The 500,000 new donors to the Obama campaign demonstrate just how strongly the American people are looking to kick the special interests out and change Washington.
 
"We are proud of the millions of volunteers and more than 2.5 million donors to the Obama campaign who are contributing to help us deliver the change we need instead of letting John McCain just continue the same failed Bush policies while middle class Americans struggle."
 
More details about the campaigns' finance are expected later this week, when their monthly financial reports are due at the Federal Election Commission.
 
Obama, a prodigious fundraiser, has decided not to accept public financing for the general election, choosing instead to spend as much money as he can raise on his bid to put the Democrats back in the White House.
 
McCain has accepted public financing, which limits his direct spending up to the election to the $84 million he received in public funds after the Republican convention earlier this month.
 
On Tuesday, Obama is attending one the Democrats' biggest fundraisers, a glitzy Beverly Hills event that will include a performance by singing star Barbra Streisand, a long-time Democratic supporter.

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